Trackback to the original post is above. The wireless worked for a short time. However, now we're connected via cable from one to another computer, as well as via Cablevision. This is the way life works. I need to get dressed, too. I'm the adult: and someone has to handle the lease. Well, technically, Terror's an adult too, now: but I'm stil lthe H-o-H here. Not that I am a perfect, H-o-H, far from it: but I am the responsible adult in the flat, lol. Yes, the responsible one, sad to say. ;-) Anyway, even if there's no true fiscal recompense for them, I have two stories out. One is in The Parasitorium: Parasitic Sands, avail;able in either paperback form for around $18-19 or as a $2.50 download from Lulu.com; and Crow's Feat, which is coming out in the ezine Free Fall in February. But, still, I have no bananas. T_T

27.1.07

FWD: STROKE SIGNS -- with one new addition!]

READ & REMEMBER

STROKE: Remember the 1st three letters of the word stroke... S.T.R.STROKE IDENTIFICATION:RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S*Ask the individual to SMILE.(If the smile is lopsided, a stroke is likely to have occurred.)

T *Ask the person to TALK to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (If the speech is slurred, a stroke is likely to have occurred.)(Coherently) (i.e. It is sunny out today)

R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS. (If he or she cannot raise one arm, a stroke is likely to have occured.)

*NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this :

Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately !! and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. !

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

23.1.07

The final book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be released this summer. It's the end of an era.

A number of people have speculated on the title's meaning. Let's see if we can explore this a bit.

Harry Potter has a scar on his forehead which traces directly back to Lord Voldemort's attempt on his life. What we know about Harry Potter is that he is, or was, a student at Hogwarts. He resides with his none-too-friendly relatives; aunt Petunia Evans Dursley, who was the sister to his mother, Lily Evans Potter; his uncle, Vernon Dursley, director of a drill company, called "Grunnings"; and Dudley Dursley, a spoiled brat of a bully who is overindulged in all things, edible or inedible, by his parents. None of them are all that nice to Mister Potter who, for all intents and purposes, was the Muggle equivalent of a House Elf before his acceptance letter--rather, acceptance letters--from Hogwarts. Apparently, Petunia disapproved of Lily's going to Hogwarts and coming home with the equivalent of frog spawn in her pockets. This paints Petunia who (other than with Dudders) is a rather fastidious person. For that matter, Vernon is a Muggle (non-magical person) through-and-through. They both disapprove of Harry's "father's sort", gallivanting around and doing magic.

Deathly, hm. Let's see what an online dictionary has to say about it.

death·ly (dthl)adj.1. Of, resembling, or characteristic of death: a deathly silence.2. Causing death; fatal.adv.1. In the manner of death.2. Extremely; very: The night was deathly cold.

Taking the first example--of, resembling, or characteristic of death; a deathly silence.

There are at least three things that can cause a deathly silence. One is, of course, that spell that you use when you don't want someone to speak. The second is, of course, death. The third option is the Draught of Living Death, which might also be used to good effect.

The final definition offered might also apply, considering the Hallows, if it refers to an Hallowed ground: Extremely, or very.

Now, let's look up Hallows, shall we?

hallow - render holy by means of religious ritestr.v. hal·lowed, hal·low·ing, hal·lows1. To make or set apart as holy.2. To respect or honor greatly; revere.

Deathly Hallows. In the manner of death, to render holy. Ah, the Religious Right is going to have a field day, with that one. Still, consider that, should Mister Potter take the draught of living death, he might just manage, under certain circumstances, to come up on Voldemort unawares, if he wanted to sneak in and conk him over the head with a Hungarian Horntail--no, wait, that's too large, how about the troll's club, from the first book.

If the Draught of Living Death makes the person only seem dead, and if Potter's covered by the cloak, then any spell sued to detect a living, breathing presence in a location would presumably be ineffective, thus enabling him to sneak up on The Dark Lord for a Secret Ninja Attack--er, sorry. I am spending a bit of time among anime fans, lol.. Still, if Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Order attack from the outside, and Potter's holed up on the inside, that means a face-to-face confrontation with the Dark Lord, uninterrupted.

By the way, "neither lives while the other survives"--I take that to mean that one of them will come out from this, alive, and live on, whereas the other will snuff it. There's nothing about both of them dying, at least that I can see from both the title and the prophecy. In a way, can you call Harry's life outside Hogwarts living? A family that despises him, Voldemort gunning for him--what kind of life is that for anyone, much less for Mr. Potter?

I vote for the Draught of Living Death. other than Sluggy, the best man positioned for the job is already inside Voldemort's ranks. Who? Your friend and mine, Professor Severus Snape. There's also another witness to hear from and that's Albus Dumbledore. We know that the portraits can speak, and we know that the images are busy, and can at times travel from one portrait to the next, so long as their images are within the alternate portrait. We know that Albus did not want to be taken off the chocolate frog cards. Ask yourselves why, and the answer is obvious: they are the eyes and ears of the Order.

Take into consideration what Hagrid saw Severus and Albus doing, in the forest. A memory charm might well have been placed on him, because he might have overheard more than they wanted to let on, at the time.

Professor Severus Snape might not be the most trusted, favoritest, well-liked person on the planet, but Albus trusted him, and I see no reason to deny that trust in the face of what seems to have happened, but would rather wait for the finale, when we actually might find out for certain what transpired in the forest, that day.